Transition to a clean energy future: the role of climate change litigation in shaping our regulatory path. As the world seeks a clean energy future, courts in Australia and other key fossil fuel-producing nations, like the United States, are increasingly hearing cases seeking to block the use of coal due to its climate change effects. This project critically assesses the role such climate litigation plays in generating regulatory momentum to address climate change.
Strengthening food systems governance at the local level. This project aims to investigate the role of law, policy, and regulation in enabling local governments and communities to contribute to healthy, sustainable, and equitable food systems. The project will analyse policies and initiatives developed by local governments and communities in New South Wales and Victoria, including how law assists or prevents local-level action. The knowledge created by this project will inform recommendations fo ....Strengthening food systems governance at the local level. This project aims to investigate the role of law, policy, and regulation in enabling local governments and communities to contribute to healthy, sustainable, and equitable food systems. The project will analyse policies and initiatives developed by local governments and communities in New South Wales and Victoria, including how law assists or prevents local-level action. The knowledge created by this project will inform recommendations for policy and legislative reforms that will empower local governments and communities to respond to food system challenges.Read moreRead less
Responding to Climate Change: Australia's Environmental Law and Regulatory Framework. Climate change presents Australia with unparalleled sustainability challenges. Impacts on environmental resources will require an integrated legal and socio-economic regulatory response. An effective and adaptable environmental law framework will be crucial for adaptation and mitigation measures. The project addresses this need by undertaking a comprehensive, interdisciplinary evaluation of Australia's legal ca ....Responding to Climate Change: Australia's Environmental Law and Regulatory Framework. Climate change presents Australia with unparalleled sustainability challenges. Impacts on environmental resources will require an integrated legal and socio-economic regulatory response. An effective and adaptable environmental law framework will be crucial for adaptation and mitigation measures. The project addresses this need by undertaking a comprehensive, interdisciplinary evaluation of Australia's legal capacity to respond to climate change, so identifying appropriate governance structures and regulatory tools. This analysis is vital to positioning Australian environmental law to manage climate change impacts and associated social, ecological and economic costs and to ensure compliance with international obligations.Read moreRead less
Advancing investor action on energy transition. This project aims to advance action by investors (debt and equity) to increase finance for low-carbon energy sources that reduce fundamental climate risks. The project applies interdisciplinary approaches to generate new knowledge about the business case for investor leadership on energy transition and supportive climate law and financial regulatory frameworks. Collaborative legal and business analysis by leading Australian and US scholars, coupled ....Advancing investor action on energy transition. This project aims to advance action by investors (debt and equity) to increase finance for low-carbon energy sources that reduce fundamental climate risks. The project applies interdisciplinary approaches to generate new knowledge about the business case for investor leadership on energy transition and supportive climate law and financial regulatory frameworks. Collaborative legal and business analysis by leading Australian and US scholars, coupled with interviews and focus groups with investors, will examine contemporary engagement practices and investors' management of climate-related financial risks. Expected outcomes are targeted reform proposals to benefit policymakers and the environment by fostering private financing of clean energy.Read moreRead less
Resilience and vulnerability in property systems: rising sea levels and local relocations in Solomon Islands. This project analyses local relocations caused by rising sea levels in Solomon Islands, in order to support sustainable and inclusive resettlement of displaced persons in their home environments.
Devising a legal blueprint for corporate energy transition. This project aims to provide a legal blueprint for using corporate law mechanisms to incentivise improved climate risk management and clean energy practices in Australian companies. Corporations are key players in efforts to transition the global energy system to clean energy sources and to mitigate climate risk. While this role is widely acknowledged, thinking on the best legal strategies that could foster corporate energy transition i ....Devising a legal blueprint for corporate energy transition. This project aims to provide a legal blueprint for using corporate law mechanisms to incentivise improved climate risk management and clean energy practices in Australian companies. Corporations are key players in efforts to transition the global energy system to clean energy sources and to mitigate climate risk. While this role is widely acknowledged, thinking on the best legal strategies that could foster corporate energy transition is in its infancy. Drawing on empirical data and more extensive United States experience with the use of corporate law tools for climate ends, the project plans to uncover roadblocks to corporate energy transformation, and identify law and governance reforms necessary for putting the private sector on a low-carbon pathway.Read moreRead less
A legal framework for specifying and defining carbon property rights. This project will critically examine the national framework for the trading of carbon offsets credits. Based on case studies and analysis of international experience, this project will develop concepts and principles to guide the Australian States in providing clear and consistent legal definitions of transferable carbon property rights.
'The fingers of the powers above do tune the harmony of this peace': Australia and the Harmonisation of Patents. Patent law is central to the key economic aim of encouraging an innovative culture. The harmonisation of patent systems around the world means Australian law will change. There is a significant risk that, without effective lobbying, the reforms will only reflect the needs and interests of the dominant economies, like the US. This project, with its comparative analysis of the patent e ....'The fingers of the powers above do tune the harmony of this peace': Australia and the Harmonisation of Patents. Patent law is central to the key economic aim of encouraging an innovative culture. The harmonisation of patent systems around the world means Australian law will change. There is a significant risk that, without effective lobbying, the reforms will only reflect the needs and interests of the dominant economies, like the US. This project, with its comparative analysis of the patent examination process, will explore the ways in which this integral part of the patent system may be improved. This research will lead to proposals for reform that are in line with the interests of Australia's unique economy.Read moreRead less
Protected Action Ballots and Protected Industrial Action under the Fair Work Act: The Impact of Ballot Procedures on Enterprise Bargaining Processes. Under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), lawful industrial action may be taken by employees in support of collective bargaining, provided that they have first authorised the action in a secret ballot. This research project explores the effect of the statutory process by which a bargaining representative of such employees seeks permission from the Fair W ....Protected Action Ballots and Protected Industrial Action under the Fair Work Act: The Impact of Ballot Procedures on Enterprise Bargaining Processes. Under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), lawful industrial action may be taken by employees in support of collective bargaining, provided that they have first authorised the action in a secret ballot. This research project explores the effect of the statutory process by which a bargaining representative of such employees seeks permission from the Fair Work Commission to conduct a ballot. It will examine the impact of the ballot requirement and statutory process on decision-making by bargaining representatives and subsequent employee access to industrial action in order to understand the effect of the regulatory scheme on enterprise bargaining behaviour. It is the first empirical study of strike ballots, analysing an important public policy area.Read moreRead less
The meaning of home for children following parental separation. This project aims to identify the meaning of home for children in separated families by interviewing children and parents about children’s experiences of home and homemaking. Since most children now traverse two households, there needs to be an increasing emphasis in policy, law and professional practice on listening to children regarding their post-separation living arrangements. By describing and analysing home for children, the p ....The meaning of home for children following parental separation. This project aims to identify the meaning of home for children in separated families by interviewing children and parents about children’s experiences of home and homemaking. Since most children now traverse two households, there needs to be an increasing emphasis in policy, law and professional practice on listening to children regarding their post-separation living arrangements. By describing and analysing home for children, the project will provide a solid basis for shifting the prevailing focus on parents’ needs in application of the law toward more child-responsive parenting arrangements. This new knowledge will support parents and professionals to achieve child-responsive approaches to post-separation parenting arrangements, reducing potentially adverse impacts of parental separation on children, and benefitting children, families and the community.Read moreRead less